82 BULLETIN 141, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



antique. These were required by ladies going to market in winter or 

 for any other contribution to personal comfort during this season. 

 Some of the scaldini were provided with covers. (Cat. Nos. 165461, 

 165462, and 165463; middle figure 5.9 inches (15 cm.) diameter, 

 10.2 inches (26 cm.) high.) 



Brass and copper foot warmers of European craftsmanship are 

 frequently worth considering treasures of the past. One of these, 

 of red hammered copper, is decorated with repousse designs. Over 

 the top is a spider-leg grating of brass rods for resting the feet. 

 The brass handle is artistically bent into shape. (PI. 71, fig. 12; 

 Cat. No. 169089, Italy, S. B. Dean; 7.1 inches (18 cm.) diameter, 6.7 

 inches (17 cm.) high.) An oblong brass pail with horizontal ribbed 

 ornament and perforated lid surmounted with a strap-brass foot 

 rest is from France. It has a brass bail with wooden spool. The 

 lid is hinged. Four low brass feet raise the vessel from the ground. 

 (PI. 71, fig. 11; Cat. No. 205376, S. B. Dean; 4.75 inches (12 cm.) 

 high.) Another specimen is a brass pail with a bail of rolled-up 

 sheet brass. The bowed lid is perforated in heart-shaped pattern. 

 With this specimen is a quaint little spatulate shovel of iron for 

 regulating the coals. The foot warmer is dated 1785, with the in- 

 itials A. B. (PI. 71, fig. 13; Cat. No. 169090, France, S. B. Dean; 

 6.7 inches (17 cm.) high.) A square, perforated brass box on four 

 feet, with repousse escutcheons on the sides and a bowed perforated 

 top with brass bail is of Dutch workmanship. Like the English 

 and colonial American foot warmers it has a door in the side for 

 inserting the pan of coals. The specimen shows the conscientious 

 work of the craftsmen of the early eighteenth century. (PI. 71, fig. 

 9, Cat. No. 289455; Anton Heitmuller; 6.3 inches (16 cm.) square, 

 6.7 inches (17 cm.) high.) Another Dutch foot warmer of the same 

 period is octagonal with double door and latch on the side. The 

 bail is of brass hooked into two strap-brass loops. (PI. 71, fig. 10; 

 Cat. No. 289454, Anton Heitmuller; 7.9 inches (20 cm.) diameter, 

 6.3 inches (16 cm.) high.) 



A dovetailed wooden rectangular box I'ned with sheet iron and 

 having a hinged lid with slats and lined with perforated tin is of 

 English workmanship. Each of the long sides has two perforations 

 lined with brass. The foot warmer has within a sheet-iron pan 

 with bail for the charcoal fuel. It is carried by a bail with a 

 wooden spool and is stained cherry color. (PI. 70&, fig. 3; Cat. No. 

 311657, Miss E. S. Stevens; dimensions 10.2 inches (26 cm.) by 7.5 

 inches (19 cm.) by 4.7 inches (12 cm.).) The specimen just .de- 

 scribed is close to the type used in America during colonial and sub- 

 sequent times. These, however, almost always consisted of a sheet- 

 iron perforated box with door placed in a wooden frame or between 

 two tablets of wood forming the top and bottom and held by comer 



